Gambling Existence
by BlackCyra
Summary: AU.Cagalli is on a search for Kira in a foreign country. She will have to juggle school, a part time job, and worst of all, people: A loud mouth teen, a mysterious princess, a prodigy, and a stalker. Great, simply great. And what's with her neighbor?
1. Runaways

Hiya, I'm BlackCyra and this is my first fanfic. I'm sorry if there are grammar mistakes, and if you feel the need to correct me, by all means do, but just show me the correct usages please.

Oh yeah, this fic has mixes of Gundam SEED/DESTINY characters. Expect casts from both series to join in on the mess and in case you haven't noticed, it's an AU. By the way, the whole of the story is set on Earth, sorry no space colonies, but it's set somewhere in the future where genetic alteration is not unheard of though only for the rich and famous. Any more and it'll spoil the fun.

Chapter rated T.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. See all these little characters I'm playing with? They're not mine.  The only thing I have a right to claim is the plot, but then again, I'm borrowing some elements from the series, so please, don't sue. I'm not making any money either.**

**  
**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One: Runaway**

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" She stood a few feet away from me, her left white-spindly hand clasping her right arm, looking almost timid as her grey eyes fell on me. Her complexion wasn't the best, her pale skin didn't shine like they used to and had a grey shade to it. She wasn't like herself, the self that loves speeding motorcycles, the self that couldn't stand rules, and regulations; she looked like she'll tumble under the slightest push, not the fiery red-head I knew.

I almost scoffed at that thought; I'm probably just as different. My hair that once had that glossy shine, proof of a healthy existence, is now slick with oils from not showering. It clings to my head disgustingly. My face is dull, losing the glow it once had, matching perfectly with my doleful, lavender eyes. What's even more revolting is the state of my once well-toned body. My muscles are probably weak from not being used, except for a few occasional brawls. The last fight I was in was with a man selling hotdogs. I was hungry and knocked him out after he didn't let me escape with the five hotdogs I took without paying. One week ago I believe.

I would've smiled mockingly at the situation if I wasn't so damn tired; it's like two complete strangers meeting each other, not realizing that they have found the wrong one.

"Yeah..." I replied in a shaky voice. Not having eaten for a week drained a lot out of me. I was on my way to a location where a man I met a while ago specified, telling me I might be able to get some food from a kind chef there. I was desperate and disregarded the fact that the man who told me looked something right out of a horror film. Slipping into the back of a deserted alley, I made my way towards the back door of the alleged restaurant, when she yelled my name. I had no clue how she could distinguish it was me or how she even knew I was here, but nevertheless, I halted and trembled a notch more.

"I missed you... where've you been?" She continued. More than anything, I wanted to bolt. My palms became slick with cold sweat, I could feel my heart rate speed up; pumping oxygen through my vessels faster than before.

"Been around." I answered. This time, my voice cracked a little.

She began talking again, this time with curses strung between each sentence. I could almost see the flare inside her ignite, bringing out the part I knew best of her; her uncontrollable mouth, and fiery temper. It extinguished as abrupt as it appeared.

I could feel my own temper flare up.

"What do you care? Don't try to come in all of a sudden like your innocent! I left 'cause of you!" I yelled, loud and clear; my body shook, I could feel my legs swaying from beneath me but my running adrenaline kept me standing up.

It was her fault. It was her that opened that cursed box, not me. It shouldn't be her that was mad, it should be me, I even had a right to feel homicidal. I shouldn't feel ripped when I saw tears brimming in her eyes from my outburst. I shouldn't feel guilty when she took a slight step back in fear.

"I know...but...but I want to be with you..." she whispered the words. I felt my fists clench and unclench, my body tensed up and I let out a deep, drawled sigh, trying to calm myself. As the minutes passed by, I gradually heard her silent tears turn into straggling sobs; the grey skies opened up and started to shed its melancholy tears. Misery loves company, I suppose.

We remained in silence, both of us soaked in not only rain, but our own numbing thoughts. The quietness didn't sit well with me; I wanted to say something, anything, just something that'll break the cocoon that encircled us.

"So, it's good-bye?" Looking up from the patch of cement my gaze had fallen to, I nodded; it's too late.

If she was crying as I walked away, I didn't hear it. I concentrated on walking onwards, forgetting my destination; just anywhere but here.

* * *

The crumbling walls shook as the rotting door opened and slam back into place. The newly-rented apartment had peeling wallpaper that tried unsuccessfully to keep the various stains which marred the wall from anyone that would've glanced around. It was painfully obvious that whoever owned the apartment before had no interest in hygiene; Rat droppings were scattered around, cockroach innards were being showcased on the floor, and on the walls. It was quite scary. The blotches of an unknown black substance that graced the tub, sink, and toilet in the bathroom, would probably make you dirtier than cleaner if tried to be used. 

Decaying as it was, funds blatantly said that anything above would result in no money for food or any other necessities. The unit held the kitchen, dinning room, living room, family room, and bedroom in one with the bathroom in another. Luckily, it was furnished. The sofa would have to double as a bed but the stove, refrigerator, table, and chair were in pretty good condition. Very bare and dirty, but it'll suffice.

Collapsing onto to the sofa/bed, the blonde let out a long sigh. All of morning and a good part of the afternoon had been devoted to job hunting. When the newspaper arrived at her neighbor's at about five in the morning, Cagalli took the liberty to borrow it for a while. Leafing through the paper, she wrote down various jobs that seemed promising. After replacing the paper back at its proper place, she looked through her possibilities and narrowed down her choices. Some seemed a little too racy, while others wouldn't have fitted into her schedule, especially once school begins. Limiting her list to between five to ten, Cagalli had set out once her watch told her it was Eight AM. It is now three and after about seven hours of searching and turn downs, Cagalli settled on being a waitress at small restaurant in a mall that she could travel to in twenty minutes. Not the best of pays but hey, it was better then being stuck with a group of preppy teens who wore too much make-up for their own good, giving bad names to blondes everywhere. Cagalli shuddered at the memory of meeting her could-be fellow employees at the clothes shop; being a waitress was way better.

With her income, maybe she'll even be able to fix up her crummy apartment, starting with the bathroom of course. Most of her money went to paying tuition at her new school, the best, if her source was correct. "Education," as her father would put it, "is the foundation for life, learn well." It might not be too late yet, she still has two years left of school and maybe more, if she was lucky that is.

Sinking further into her memories, she recalled the events months back. Actually, if she was told that it was years ago, she would've believed it; the four months probably took years off her lifespan. It took only four months for her world to spin wildly out of orbit, crushing everything she had known and cherished, except one.

Kira.

He was the one that actually heeded the advice; he scored high scores on every quiz, test, and exam, always solving difficult formulas and apprehending deep philosophies that flew over Cagalli's head. He had a bright future in computer science, analyzing and processing faster then he could type, which was really, freakishly fast.

She almost smiled at the memory but instead she scowled. The first thing she'll do when she sees him is sock him hard in the guts, after she gives him a good slap across the face that is.

* * *

Cagalli was late, later then she has ever been in her life and to top it off, lost. So why in the world was she scaling a six feet fence to retrieve a soccer ball? Oh yeah, because two, devil-in disguise boys asked her to, putting on that puppy dog eyes that no one could resist. Or maybe she wasn't as tough as previously thought? 

Cursing as she thumped down onto newly-mowed law on the other side of the fence, she began to creep along the grounds like a thief, desperate not to be caught. Before climbing, she made note of a big, hard-to-miss sign that stated in capital bold letters, **DO NOT TRESPASS**. Hoping that this would not be the last thing attempted in her short life, she glanced around the immaculately kept grounds. Very lush and green, she thought.

She made her way further and nearer to garden, praying that the owner didn't keep rabid pit-bulls as pets. Upon reaching the garden, aromas of many different flowers assaulted Cagalli's nose, and her eyes were being blinded by bright colors. Cagalli would've stopped to admire the hard work needed to grow such beautiful things, if she had not spotted the offending black and white ball. She charged, not taking note of a figure standing just a few feet from the ball, until she found him looming over her, with her back to the ground.

Cagalli's shriek that exploded forth caught the aggressor by surprise, making him loosen his grip. After recovering from the pain that panged at the base of her neck, Cagalli screamed, "What the hell are you doing?" Making the aggressor open his eyes in shock and completely let go. Looking quite embarrassed, he stood up and extended his hand in a kind offer which Cagalli ignore, standing up very well by herself.

"Sorry, I thought you were attacking me." The male stated, hoping that she would take it as an apology. When he first noticed her charging at him, he thought her a man and a dangerous one too. Looking at her now, it was undeniable that she was indeed a she, and not a he. A form-fitting shirt and a loose cargo pants showed not a lot, but just enough to prove she is not some wild-eyed mad man. He didn't voice his thoughts; he didn't feel like dying quite yet.

Cagalli almost turned around to argue but time was an issue so she snatched the ball from its stationary post, and ran back to the fence, leaving the green eyed stranger behind, stunned and clueless at her sudden retreat. He didn't particularly care though; he doubted he'll ever see her again.

* * *

"Being late on the first day isn't very impressive, Miss Yula." Cagalli started to explain frantically and apologize but was cut short when her employer raised his hand in a silencing motion and handed over her new uniform. 

"Ah, well, just change into this uniform and get started. Actually, I'm not a very punctual person myself, but just don't make a habit of it like I did." He shot a kind smile her way as he continued helping in the kitchen. She returned with one of her own, grateful that she didn't get chewed out. "Thank you Mr. Waldfield."

Finding the girl's changing room, Cagalli dressed herself with the uniform, but blanched at the site of the skirt. Seeking out Mr. Waldfield in the kitchen, she tried to negotiate with him but he closed all attempts by simply stating, "It won't be very cute, now will it?" Holding in the puke, Cagalli stepped into the dreaded skirt which matched the color scheme of the rest of the uniform---gold and red. Maybe the job at that clothes store wouldn't have been so terrible; at least they had a choice of clothing from their various stocks.

Reminding herself that what's done is done with no way to turn back the hands of time, she headed out into the bustling restaurant, knowing very well it was going to be a long day.

* * *

I eat Reviews, so please give this starving girl some food. 

P.S. I like a side dish of Predictions, while spicy Flames are enjoyable, don't overload. And Suggestions helps with my Digestion/lamejoke


	2. Encounters

Hiya, thank you for those of you that read the first chapter and thank you Cagalli Yula Athha for reviewing and giving me something to munch on. Yum!

Chapter rated T.

**DISCLAIMER: I am nothing more than a wanna-be authoress that is borrowing elements from Gundam SEED/DESTINY and using various stuff to torture the beloved cast, they belong to Bandai. I do not make money off of this, so there's no point in suing.

* * *

**

**Chapter Two: Encounters

* * *

**

Lacus was born with the gift of song. If she had wished, she could've gone platinum by the age of fourteen. Various agents came flattering her, trying to feed her fat with all the wonderful fame her talent could bring. She turned down each and every one of them. She didn't want fame, she just wanted to sing.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, her hands graze the scars that lingered on her throat. It'll come back eventually, the doctors kept saying, it's only been four months after all.

Today is the first of September, her first day as a junior at the Minerva Academy. The Minerva Academy is the top-rated school at Plant, a school which Lacus attended since Pre-K. After dressing herself in the high school girl's uniform which consists of a red skirt, white dress-shirt, and an all-yellow tie with the school symbol, she lightly walked down the grand staircase, like a princess making her grand entrance to the ball. Instead of taking the limousine that was offered, she chose walked. It wasn't terribly far, and it was hard to resist the crisp air and beaming sun.

Fortunately for Lacus, her mansion was very close to Minerva Academy, twenty minutes at the most. She didn't need to rent a dorm to go to school there, unlike some of her classmates. At 7'o'clock, thirty-five minutes before the first period, Lacus entered the grand grounds of the Minerva Academy. Past the gates and sentries, a long pavement road weaved its way to the entrance of the South block where limousines could drop their occupants off at. The grounds were a magnificent site; beautifully kept gardens, freshly trimmed bushes, and newly mowed law could keep any beholder mesmerized. A building hidden near the back, the East block, held the dormitories for the boys and girls. That's where Lacus headed toward.

Both the girl's and boy's dormitories had six floors with about five units per floor, so thirty units in all. The building was fatter than it was tall, making the dorms very spacious inside. Usually it is two to a dorm, but one to a dorm isn't impossible, as long as the right sum of money is paid. The front entrance to the boy's dorm was big enough to fit probably two hummers side to side and the hallways would probably allow the said vehicles to drive comfortably around. The elevator wasn't any less amazing; located near the end, one of the elevator walls allowed a spectacular view of the Minerva grounds as it slid its way up and down the building.

After boarding the elevator, Lacus pushed the button for the fifth floor, and gained a bird's eye-view of the Minerva campus. A few limousines could be spotted on the road to the main building, and a few students could be seen scattered about, chattering with their fellow classmates or just walking around. When the elevator reached its destination, Lacus exited and went in search for dorm twenty-three. When she stood in front of dorm twenty-three's door, she knocked gently and waited for a reply. A loud thud followed by a curse could be heard on the other side and Lacus giggled. Much scrambling but only to be beaten by his roommate, who opened the door and greeted their early visitor.

"Good morning Shinn." Lacus said, giving a melting smile as she entered through the open door

* * *

. 

Various words flitted through Cagalli's head about the Minerva campus as she tried to find her first period classroom. None of the description was very flattering to whoever built and names the various buildings. Feeling slightly panicked, she began to run although not exactly sure where to. As she sprinted through the hallways, she found her hate for skirts increase. Stupid people, she thought, why the hell couldn't she wear pants!

After realizing that she ran herself full circle, she stopped to catch her breath and fumed. Could this school be anymore complicated? There were three main blocks in the campus, she learned, each block was named after a corresponding direction. The dorms where the East block, the academic block was South, and the block that taught classes like Physical Education, or Art, where in the North building. The confusing part was how they decided to name the buildings part of each block. There was the South South building, the North South building, South North building, South East building, and on and on it went.

Cagalli came to Minerva an hour early just to make sure she knew where all her classes where that day. She was only able to find three classes in total. The bell already rang, and she forgot where the blasted room in which first period would be held. Cagalli cursed in frustration, the last hour was a waste if she couldn't even remember what little she learned.

"Umm, are you okay?"

Cagalli blinked, she was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't realized she started banging her heads against the hall walls. Blushing furiously at the thought of how stupid she must've looked, she straightened up considerably and said, "Ah, yeah." while stilling trying to look dignified.

The other student just smiled and asked, "Do you need help?" Cagalli still furious at herself at not being able to find the room, nodded her head reluctantly. "Yeah...I'm lost." After being handed over her schedule, her helper led her off to the direction of the South South building, or was it North South?

"These buildings are like mazes, but you'll get used to them. Not very many people get lost, so I guess you're new?" The green haired student said, trying sincerely to get to know her. Cagalli gave an empty-minded nod, she was busy trying to remember whether or not she recognized the hallways; she didn't.

"Wow, we don't get many new students here, most of us been here since Pre-K."

For a while, they walked in silence, and teachers could be heard through the doors they passed, giving lectures on the subjects they teach. When they reached the room, which Cagalli finally recognized, she put her hand on the handle and paused before opening. " Thanks, I'm Cagalli by the way, and you?"

"Nicol." The person identified as Nicol smiled. "Umm, Cagalli, you might want to open the door, or we'll be later than what's good for us." Before Cagalli could say anything, Nicol continued. "We're in most of the same class, including this one."

Cagalli nodded dumbly and opened the door, walking into a sea of surprised stares. A woman stood at the front of the classroom, paused in her speech when Cagalli and Nicol opened the door. When both bodies where in and the door closed, the woman, unmistakably the teacher, gave a fierce glare and said, "Tardiness is not tolerated in this class, but since this is the first day, I'll allow one slip. However next time you decide to walk in late, I shall give detentions, Mr. Amarfi, and Ms.--"

"Cagalli Yula."

"--Ms. Yula. With that understood, please take a seat." The teacher with short black hair, continued off on her lesson again as though she was never interrupted, and gave out the year's first assignment, while Nicol and Cagalli found two empty seats. Cagalli, looking at her schedule, saw that the teacher's name was Natarle Badgiruel, too bad that under the name it didn't warn, 'Extremely Scary Teacher.' Cagalli sighed, she took out a floppy labeled 'Stupid Math' and inserted it into the computer that occupied every desk, and typed in the assignment. What else did she expect? She was after all, at the number one school in Plant.

After over an hour of scary looks and fast explanations, the bell brought much anticipated relief. Throwing her supplies back into her messenger bag, Cagalli stood up and found herself face to face with Nicol. "We have next period together, wanna go with me?" Nicol offered, knowing most likely that the blonde would get lost again. Cagalli was also aware of that fact and took up the offer, walking with him out of the classroom and into the crowded hallway.

* * *

Sitting in a classroom full of super smart aces, made Cagalli finally realize how inept she really was. The teacher, a handsome blue-eyed blonde, explained various events in history, barely pausing as the students typed notes furiously. Cagalli couldn't keep up. She could almost hear her brain cells fizzing in her overloaded brain. Nicol was not in this class so she, the new kid, sat alienated with no one to hopefully copy notes from later. 

"Okay everyone, by the end of the class period, I would like an eight-hundred word essay on whether or not the civil war had justified causes, and why. Easy, right?"

Everyone complied by taking out another floppy and inserting it into a second slot on the personalized computer stationed at every desk, the floppy would be later on given to the teacher to grade. Everyone started to type extraordinary fast, pausing only for a little while to brainstorm. Cagalli didn't have such speed. She sat, staring at a blank screen, trying to recall some details of the war. If only Kira was here...being the same grade as she and a computer genius, he could probably hack into the system and send grade-saving messages to her. Cagalli slumped at the memory of him. Geez, how can someone with so much brain be so...so...

"Having trouble missy?" Cagalli jerked her head up and saw her teacher standing over her, smiling at the blank screen.

"I have a name, it's Cagalli." She retorted.

"Sorry." The teacher said apologetically while being pinned by Cagalli's fierce glare. "Anyways, looks like you're having trouble, need help? Ms. Ca-ga-lli." Instead of nodding her head in acceptance, Cagalli continued to stare down the teacher. She was hard-headed and knew it too; it had gotten her into troubles many times before. The teacher wore a lopsided grin and raised his hands palm open, as though stating he meant no harm. Cagalli knew she was being mocked and raised slightly, ready to mouth off. She was cut short when the teacher, who probably smelt the danger signs, said, "The pink princess is done. Ahh, why don't we have her help you?" He added the 'Ahh' for good measures, reinstating he was only trying to do his job.

The teacher turned his head to look over Cagalli's and gave a small wave at the student that occupied the seat just behind her. Smiling gently, the girl that the teacher focused on softly said, "Do you need something, Mr. Fllaga?"

Cagalli turned around and saw a pink hair girl sitting at the desk just behind her with her head poked out from behind her computer screen. "If Cagalli needs help, I wouldn't mind helping." The pink haired girl said her voice sweet and soft. Standing up, she shifted slightly so she could walk up next to Cagalli's computer. The movement caught many looks; some annoyed ("sheesh I'm trying to work here), some admirably ("she's so beautiful") and some weird ("-censored-").

"I'm Lacus, nice to meet you." Lacus greeted and Cagalli felt herself being pulled by Lacus's charm, unknowingly of course.

"Well then, I'll leave you two be, and go up to my lonely desk and work for my money." Mr. Fllaga winked before he sauntered up to his desk at the back of the room, and popped in a floppy disk, grading the first of the essays and most likely Lacus's.

"Cagalli, what do you need help with?" Cagalli blushed slightly. She released a sheepish laugh and helped Lacus who started moving the two desks in positions that'll allow communication between the two easier when seated.

"Okay, now let's see..."

* * *

"Hell yeah! Lunch time!" Cagalli let out loud yell that got her many weird looks, but she didn't see them; it was lunch. No time for weird looks of misplaced judgment, the only thing that mattered was what went into her stomach. Finding the Cafeteria quite easily (like a dog, she followed her nose,) she searched through her messenger bag to pull out some money to pay for the school lunch. She will gripe and whine about how lighter her wallet felt _later_, food is the only thing that mattered now. After paying for her meal, she went and found an almost empty table and sat. Wasting no time, she shoved the food into her mouth, almost forgetting to chew before she swallowed. Half of her meal was gone when out of habit, she turned to her left. 

"Kiiiiraaa, do you want your---"

She stopped mid-sentence as she realized that she was being stared at not by Kira, but by some guy she had never seen in her life before. Suddenly, the food didn't taste so good; suddenly she wanted to throw up. Standing up abruptly, she brought her half finished food to the trash empty-mindedly and chucked it in. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes, she began to count backwards. 100, 99, 98, 97---

"Move outta the way!" Cagalli's eyes snapped open and found a pair of red eyes glaring at her. If one were to look at the situation, it would be obvious that Cagalli should step aside and that she should apologize, but it was also obvious that one should never, EVER, talk rudely, if at all, to a girl who looked like a PMSing warrior with her fist clenched. _Especially_ with her fist clenched.

Before Shinn realized it, he found himself being assaulted verbally with an occasional threat using a fist or two; he warded those off with his hand. But the verbal assault continued. He found himself being called names he wasn't quite fond of and in his surprised mind, concluded that he was actually backing_ away_ from the girl, as if scared. Taking up his manly pride, he took a step forward and fought in his own defense.

There was quite a stir and the students weren't really sure how to take this. Half of them stared, a quarter of them ignored it, and the other quartered took up constant chanting of "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Before an ambulance would have a reason to come, a female staff member, probably in her late twenties, took up the role of separating the two. Another teacher decided to help and about ten minutes later, the two students found themselves sitting just outside of the principal's office waiting for their sentence.

Cagalli felt relieved. Letting out a relaxing sigh, she smiled. She has never felt any better. Of course she realized that she was in front of the principal's office but they didn't exchange blows, so it should be safe. Her counterpart on the other hand, fumed. He started cursing out with every known word he knew and even making up new ones. He grew angrier when he saw her _smile_. Great, he thought, I'm in trouble with a psycho manic.

"Mr. Asuka, Ms. Yula, please come in." A male with long black hair ushered, stepping aside to let them into the office. Cagalli noticed, after he took a seat behind a grand wooden desk across from them, that he had sharp golden eyes like a snake. He folded his hands neatly on top of his polished wooden desk that at one corner had a glass chess board with glass pieces resting peacefully, waiting to be played. On the edge toward Cagalli and Shinn, there was a gold name plate; engraved was the name, Gilbert Dullindal. After studying the pair for a while, he said, "Care to explain?"

"She--"

"Sorry."

Shinn opened his eyes in disbelief and stared openly at the blonde next to him. Okay, psycho _and_ dumb.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off on him, I was in a bad mood and I guess he was a convenient way to blow off some steam. It's my fault but I didn't mean anything I said, I don't even know him. I'm really sorry." Cagalli said matter-factly, staring blandly into the principal's face. "We didn't actually hit each other...so it should be fine, all we really did was yell our lungs off, right?" Cagalli turned towards Shinn, wanting back up. Shinn nodded in agreement, he wasn't really up for suspension. "Yeah, no hits."

Dullindal remained silent for a moment, studying them further to decide their punishment. He knew what they said were correct, even Talia said so, but they did need to get _some_ form of punishment. After a moment of silence, the principal said, "It is unfortunate that such a big disturbance was cause and especially on the first day of the new school year, that is why I shall assign you cleaning duties. Please report to Ms. Gladys's office after school today promptly, is there any questions?"

Shinn shook his head, having gone here for at least two years gave him enough information on how things functioned, however that was a different case for Cagalli.

"Who?" Dullindal's lip perked up at the corners, shattering the image of cold and distant adult. "Sorry, I forgot that you are new here. We usually don't get new enrollments; most students are here since Pre-K."

"Yeah, I've been told...so...um...whose Ms. Gladys and where's her office?" Cagalli ventured. At the moment, her principal didn't seem too intimidating and actually seemed friendly, something _every_ teacher and principal should be. Did they actually enjoy scaring their students? "Ah, yes. Ms. Gladys is the assistance principal and..." Dullindal began explaining what building her office was located while Shinn sat idly, staring off into the ceiling.

After about ten minutes of explanation and many questions from Cagalli, the pair walked out of the office and was given passes to their next class. Both felt relieved that they didn't gain more than cleaning for one day only. Without saying another word to each other, they both separated and went to their respectable class, one of them however, had more trouble doing so and wounded up wondering the halls for quite a while, before a teacher kindly pointed her in the right direction.

* * *

"Shinn did you really knock her out?" 

"What? I heard he got whooped!"

"Didn't you also get bitch-slapped?"

Ever since the bell rang, he had been drilled constantly by his classmates on his little 'fight'. Feeling a vein pop in his forehead at the term 'bitch-slap', Shinn turned around to face his two gossiping friends, Vino and Youlan.

"What the hell do you mean 'bitch-slapped'? As if! And shut up already, you guys sound like a bunch of gossiping pussies!" Shinn stepped up his pace and left the two "gossiping pussies" behind. Completely lost in his anger at his 'friends', he collided into a blonde, but caught her before she kissed concrete.

She had the strangest eyes he'd ever seen, a color he couldn't quite place, shallow but yet deep, sharing her soul but hidding secrets. Weird.

"Are you okay?" No reply. After a few moments, the blonde shoved him away, showing surprising strength for a petite body, and ran off..

"You touched her boobs, didn't you?" Shinn jumped at the comment and found Vino staring slyly at him, wearing a grin that suggested more than one thing. "Lucky pervert." Vino walked off with a laughing Youlan trailing behind. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Shinn felt his face heat up as he cursed his lucks with blondes and stalked off to his next period.

* * *

The fic is starting off slow, but if I can steer everything on course, things should be picking up in the next three chapters (kicks the Plot Mobile.) However I tend to get lost (like Cagalli) so I might need a few pointers to get everything on track. 

Sorry if the characters are out of character, or if there is something horribly wrong with my pacing. Send me a review and tell me what you think.

How about a little preview?

**Next Chapter:** Lookie, someone's doing the Angst (CoughAthrunCough) and guess what? There's hell to pay for tackling our favorite blonde. Shinn and Auel meets while Toad…Foe…umm...Tolle! and Miriallia makes an entrance.

I have the munchies so please send me some food!


	3. Encounters, Rd Two

Hiya, thank you for those that have read my fic up to now and thank you **Alex Ikari** for reviewing last chapter and to answer your question, the pairings of this fic includes AxC. But I have to say, before you turn your head away in disgust, that the barrier that exists between the two in the series does not exist here in this ficlet. Let's see what type of mess I can cook up...(evil grin)

There are AxC moments in this chapter along with some other moments, but know that I don't believe in rushy feelings between the two, so don't expect anything TOO lovey-dovey. However, I did try to make...erm...romantic moments between two other characters. I'm afraid I didn't do them justice. (jumps off a bridges)

Anyways...

Chapter rated T

**DISCLAIMER: I am nothing, I will becoming nothing, and I own nothing. Suing nothing will result in nothing. Let's save the legal process for another lifetime, kay?**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Encounters, Round Two

* * *

**

School wasn't that bad. In fact, it might have been enjoyable. The students were friendly, the workload was easy, and the teachers were kind. Yeah, it wasn't bad. No one questioned him beyond the basics, like 'what's your name' or 'what grade are you in" and the answers he gave seemed to settle their curiosity just fine too. There might've been a few well-informed teachers; they gave him glances and such, but no biggie. They could've been surprised at what a 'jewel' they managed to snag in their class than well-informed.

Athrun Dino could definitely be a new shinning star at his new and shiny school.

As nice as that sounded, it is definitely something he will be avoiding in becoming. He turned down offers at clubs, or invitation to parties that guaranteed him a 'nice place to be' in his school. Lay low, he thought, just lay low.

When school was dismissed, he promptly walked out, ignoring the trailing girls that wanted his attention. Well, he didn't exactly _ignore_, it was more like, he didn't _notice_. Nothing new really; his body might've hit puberty, but his mind certainly didn't. Or at least not in the form of raging hormones, as some would deem it.

He walked home to his new apartment. Again it wasn't bad, nothing wonderful, but not bad. After clicking his door shut, he found himself having two hours to spare before going to his first job as a waiter at a restaurant named Tiger's Choice. His teachers didn't assign him homework, something he found wonderfully new and nice, so he didn't have much to do except for staring at the ceiling and twiddling his thumb. As nice as that prospect sounded, the moment he started, he found his mind being bogged down by oppressive thoughts.

Two hours passed by with Athrun's mind running around in circles, drifting between memories and guilt. The lumpy couch he was sprawled on didn't do much for the headache that started to form, snipping away at his nerves and rendering his patience useless. He sat up and held his head, making a mental note to buy some Tylenol or aspirin. Groggily, he stalked to his bathroom to brush out a disgusting taste that formed, and began dressing in his waiter uniform.

* * *

Great. She was late. _Again._

Two damn times in the last month.

Detention was spent scrubbing furiously in the girl's restroom overlooked by merciless janitor. She didn't get to talk to her fellow detention-ee, he was working his part in the boy's restroom. The janitor was only satisfied when Cagalli's fingers were rubbed raw, and when the toilets could have been doubled as an eating bowl. As soon as she was dismissed, Cagalli raced home, showering quickly in her now _clean _shower and changing into her waitress uniform. Everything was accomplished as fast as possible, but no matter how much she speeded through the sidewalks, or how many people she knocked over in her rush, she was still thirty-minutes late.

Cagalli cursed her temper, if only she hadn't blown up at that Asuka guy, if only-- resentfully admitted--she didn't need anger management, and Goddamnit, if only Kira hadn't left. None of this would've happen if he hadn't left!

Cagalli sighed, as much as she liked blaming him, she felt guilt swimming sickeningly in her stomach, threatening to hurl the contents she doesn't remember consuming.

"Late again, Ms. Yula? I'd hate to fire such a popular waitress; I think regulars are starting to form just to see you." Mr. Waldfield good-heartedly called as Cagalli checked in. She stared at her employer, surprised he didn't fire her on the spot. He really _was_ nice.

He had good-natured blue eyes--one eye actually--and a nice mop of brown hair that merged quite well with his dark-brown skin. Just by his demeanor one could tell he was a lady's man but coupled with his good looks and irresistible charm, it wouldn't be surprising that a good bunch of ladies--or guys--came just to see him. However, a rumor that circulated for while around the employees said that his girlfriend died recently. How? They could only speculate, but it'll be a while before he can finally throw out his broken heart and find a new one, if the gossips are correct. Too bad for all the nice looking ladies, they seem to enjoy laughing at his jokes as he tended the bar.

"Ah, yeah, sorry. I had detention." Cagalli said as her attention shifted from Mr. Waldfield's face to the floor, she didn't hear the last part of what he said over the restaurant and the distance. The employer quirked his lips up. The youth, he mused. "I'll let it slip but I think Table Six over there is ready." He pointed to a table in the far corner with a glass he held in his hand. There two boys around Cagalli's age sat, they had turned their gaze from her the moment she glanced over.

Before Cagalli turned to leave, her boss added, "Oh yeah, we have a new waiter. Give him a hand if he needs, he shouldn't be too hard to miss." Mr. Waldfield smirked slightly, and turned back to attending the bar, and to a nice red-head who seemed ravishingly thirsty.

Cagalli pulled out a notepad she used to take orders, and more or less, ran to Table Six. She wanted to show she was someone to keep, or get a pay raise. "Are you ready?" She said while plastering on a cheesy smile. Make them feel welcomed, she thought. Scared would've fitted better. "Ah, yeah, can I have salmon burger with fries as a side, and root beer please?" The boy who wore a black cap that read in green letters 'phr34k', asked. He didn't seem to think that Cagalli's smile was scary, maybe even...charming? "I'll have a steak burger with fries too, coke's fine." The second boy had brown wavy hair that fell just above his eyes, Cagalli instantly recognized him as a co-worker's boyfriend.

Cagalli wrote down the orders. "Miriallia's shift doesn't start till later." she said casually. Miriallia was a fellow employee around Cagalli's age and the two became fast friends. Cagalli even pulled a full favors, seeing as how her bathroom at the time was still a mass of black ooze. Miriallia introduced her boyfriend when he walked her to her job one day, but Cagalli couldn't quite recall his name...Towel...Toad...Pole...

"Really? Damn, I thought she started earlier...and it's Tolle, incase you forgot. Your Cagalli right? I think my friend wants to say something..." Tolle looked toward his friend with a slick smile and sly eyes. Phr34k started blushing violently and returned Tolle's smile with a 'damn you bastard' glare. Tolle leaned back in laughter, making Phr34k's blush spread like the plague.

All of this seemed to have went 'whoosh' over Cagalli's head, who decided she lingered long enough. "The food will be ready in a bit." With that, she walked into the kitchen to place the order while Tolle shoved his fist into his mouth, trying suppress his laughter but failing miserably when his friend, still trying to recover from the take over of the Dreaded Blush, gained a crossed-eyed look to his eyes.

Cagalli dropped the new order in the kitchen. She grabbed two cups and began filling both with ice, one with root beer and the other with coke. Weaving through the tables again, she placed the drinks at Table Six, and left for a table full of bubbling teenage girls before she could make idle chit-chat, much to Phr34k's dismay.

"May I take your order?"

The Tiger's Choice was set up so that each waiter or waitress had certain areas to tend. On quiet days, this worked very well, but when the restaurant was as full as this, there were a lot more anger and impatience faces on customers. This was not the case for the group of bubbly girls; the group of girls actually waited on _purpose_.

Hmm, does a certain young, blue-haired waiter ring a bell? Too bad, even if this table was his turf, he was too busy tending to a lady that wore too much jewelry and was covered with perfumed that screamed 'I'm-trying-to-conceal-my-bad-BO' on the next table over. But it didn't stop the girls from trying to get his attention, ignoring a waitress who had a short fume, and was only trying her best to get a little more money.

"Waiter!" A shrill voice called, it was a brunette from the group of teens, trying to gain the waiter's lovely attention. "We're ready!"

The poor boy smiled meekly and held up one finger, trying to signal that he'll be there in one moment. His headache from earlier had vanished, but he could feel another oncoming.

Cagalli felt something pop as she turned her head in anger. She tapped her foot slightly and thought on leaving all this mess to that oh-so-popular waiter. She could wait on _other _tables, in fact that'll probably be the best, dealing with hyper, superficial wanna-be adults wasn't exactly her cup of tea. A pair of couples caught her eye and just as she was about to walk over, she made the terrible mistake to glance at the new waiter. A fuse exploded.

"YOU!"

Athrun turned his head at the loud scream and found that it was directed at him by a pair of very miffed, amber eye. Cagalli stormed up to him, clucking loudly in her high heels and causing quite a bit of air to blow under her, flapping her skirt. This caught many male lookers. She remembered slightly to mind her language, little kids where around and not mention, _very _ready-to-complain parents.

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT---THAT---" Athrun opened his eyes wider, a memory of how he tackled a girl a month ago surfaced and he fearfully glanced around. The words she was screaming were more than suggestive, and to his luck, several people began murmuring to their companions, some even took out their cell phone ready to dial those magic numbers, and a few boys cracked their knuckles menacingly preparing to jump in if needed.

He felt heat rising to his cheeks at the implications and tried to think of the fastest way out of this sticky situation. "Could you quiet down? You're causing a scene." Bad move. Cagalli is _not_ someone to quiet down, even if she was causing the whole world to turn their heads. "WHAT? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT TACKLED--" _-Gasp- _"ME!"

This was followed by more hushed whispers and the fore mentioned boys raised slightly, Tolle and Phr34k included. The girls who previously tried to get Athrun's attention suddenly looked scandalized, to think that they could've gotten themselves--themselves...the brunette started crying.

"YOU ALMOST--MFPH!" Having felt the impending doom looming just above his head, Athrun, who was desperate, did the unthinkable and grabbed Cagalli while placing one hand over her mouth. This caused more stirs and the boys jumped up, completely ready to pounce. Slowly backing away, he dragged a kicking Cagalli with him towards the kitchen, while giving the, 'I'm harmless, I can't be evil' look to anyone who would've cared. Their boss, who seemingly popped out of nowhere, decided to calm the crowd down and promised them a satisfying explanation once he sorted things out.

"You two, back room."

* * *

Shinn stretched, rolling the kinks from his stiffened shoulder, a complimentary gift from a certain blonde. The janitor finally gave his nod of approvement and allowed Shinn to pack up. He doubted he'd want to see another bottle of bleach ever again and began to think up plans to dump all cleaning responsibility on his roomie. 

Not being able to conceive satisfying plan, he decided he'll cruise around campus for awhile, maybe an inspiration will hit. He walked through the empty grounds of the Minerva Academy and entered the North building. As he opened the door, a blast of cool air met him and he welcomed it with much relief. Wasn't fall supposed to be only three weeks away?

The hallways were deserted, but there seemed to be a noise echoing, bouncing off the walls before slowly fading. Curious as to what the noises were, he decided to follow them. It didn't take long for him to figure out the mysterious sound: Giggles. Giggles of pure joy and delight, it captivated him, driving his feet to find the source. He stopped in front of the auditorium. The doors were propped open and inside, a single girl could be seen dancing, as light and fluid as the dusts that cling to filtering sun rays.

Shinn never really cared much for the 'culture' of dance, nor the art. However seeing her dance so purely, and so innocently, it had fascinated him, urging him to enter the auditorium, just so he could see for himself the miracle of dance that she brought forth. Her steps never faltered, but it couldn't have been staged. Nothing like that could have been staged. There was a feeling of wild joy, something primitive but sophisticated at the same time.

He edged closer, as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb the water nymph. Water, yes definitely water. Her movement flowed like water in a creek, lapping slightly but ever so graceful. He stopped at the front row and found the figure surprisingly familiar. It was the girl from the afternoon, the one he ran into, but instead of wearing the regulation school uniform, she wore something entirely different. The long, lacey skirt added wind to her movements and the sleeves fire. It twirled and spun with her, it enveloped her but to only have her sprang out a moment later with her fluid grace.

Beautiful.

Shinn felt himself pulled even further to point where he found he wanted to accompany her. Though he never had a talent for dance, he felt that with her, he could probably accomplish anything. A voice shook him out of his stupor.

"Hey, Stellar! What are you doin'?" A figure appeared stage left, a ruffian sort of guy with sky-blue hair that stuck up at odd ends. He had a child like innocent that was masked by rough-boy appearance. Stellar stopped abruptly, turning to look at the newcomer while panting slightly. She tilted her head and looked at him with big, inquiring eyes. The ruffian smiled something that could have been a smirk. "Neo's lookin' for ya."

Suddenly, Stellar's eyes, face, and everything else perked up, looking delighted as she ran to the boy. "Really?" Blue hair nodded, but turned his head towards Shinn, noticing the outsider. He walked down center stage, taking strides with a hint of cockiness and protectiveness.

"What the hell you want?" He demanded, towering over Shinn with the help of the stage.

"Nothing, can't I just walk around the school?" Shinn replied sarcastically making sure he was heard.

The boy glanced at Stellar over his shoulder, and eyed Shinn. "Eh? Is that so?" He jumped like a predator and landed smartly on his feet a little bit away from Shinn with his hands deep in his pants. He was also not in uniform.

"Yeah, something wrong with that?" Shinn raised his voice a little, angry for being questioned. This didn't go by unnoticed. The boy gave Shinn a real smirk, and took his time in closing the distance between the two until they were only a foot apart. The smirk vanished from the boy's face and he gave Shinn a stern look in the eyes. "Don't even try."

This caught Shinn by surprised. Try what? He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, ready to fight back but before he could, the boy retreated, jumping back onto the stage. Stellar, who watched the confrontation emotionlessly, smiled when blue hair walked up and followed him eagerly off stage.

Shinn watched the two disappear and wonder what the hell that guy's problem was. He exited the auditorium, and headed in the general direction of the gym. Even if the encounter had left much to be desired, he still felt an elated type of feeling floating in his chest, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Lost in this feeling, he almost didn't hear a voice call from behind.

"Shinn!" A girl a year older than Shinn ran forth, catching him by surprise. "Lunamaria!" She had short magenta hair, and big lavender eyes framed by long eyelashes, a very jubilant face that spoke volumes of her outgoing personality. Though her hair might make her seem tomboyish, she was anything but that. Her figure didn't leave very much to be desire, her (hitched) skirt revealed long shapely legs and the school shirt showed just enough to interest any guy. Her appearance was perfect, but the way she walked, the way she tried to smile spoke even deeper than her portrait appearance.

Shinn smiled at his friend, but inquired in serious voice, "How's your sister?" The dark circles didn't slip past him, as much as Lunamaria tried to cover them with concealers.

Lunamaria returned with a smile, happy at his concern. "She's doing pretty well actually, but she's going to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up. Mom can't go, and Dad...well...you know how he is." Shinn nodded, not pressing the subject further.

The two began walking; matching each other's steps perfectly. "I was thinking of heading to the art room, care to join?" Lunamaria said casually when they came to a split in the hallway, one direction heading towards the art room and the other to the weight room. Shinn didn't pause to think.

"Sure."

* * *

"WHAT!" 

"Yup, caused quite a scene too."

"No way! And I missed it, damn should've taken the earlier shift!"

Sitting around the bar was Tolle, Phr34k (identified as Rusty), and Miriallia, the later having a damn good laugh at the expense of a very red Athrun and a-not-so-red Cagalli. The mishap that happened hours before, settled quickly when an embarrassed Cagalli apologized for causing an uproar and that it was nothing to worry about, to which Athrun's group of fangirls started smiling and returned to trying to get his attention once more. (Oh, he couldn't have been a, you know...).

"If you're gonna take the late shift, can't you at least help in closing?" Cagalli yelled. It was almost nine, the time which the mall closed. Athrun and Cagalli was moving around, putting up chairs and mopping the floor. Cagalli still felt a bit mad over Athrun for tackling her, but it simmered down a notch, leaving her able to work decently enough with him. At the moment though, her anger directed more at her friend, who threatened to fall over if she didn't straighten up.

"Yeah, yeah, I will." She wiped some tears from her eyes, and grabbed a rag, working her way to the tables that didn't have chairs on top. Cagalli grumbled and returned to cleaning the floors.

Mr. Waldfield's head popped from behind the kitchen door. "Hey, you're going to have to leave now. Sorry, closing time." He told Tolle and Rusty, jabbing a thump to the exit. "Okay, see ya." Tolle jumped down from the stool he was sitting on, and walked to Miriallia placing a peck on her cheek. Rusty looked away from Cagalli and mumbled a 'later' as he followed his friend's back.

"Alright, you guys can go home now, I'll close up."

Cagalli yawned bodily while stretching; the idea of bed floated into her mind but was quickly put out when a big wind called Responsibility blew. Homework sat happily at home, waiting to be finished. Feeling slightly grumpy, she dejectedly checked out and barely waved good-bye to a beaming Miriallia.

After having exited the mall, she walked to the nearest bus stop and flopped down on the bench still in her uniform, or more importantly, a _skirt._ Eyeing the damn thing, a futile attempt to make the material cover to her knee ended in unsurprising failure. She looked at the other occupant of the bench; her skirt was even shorter than Cagalli's! It never failed to amaze, how someone could wear something so short and _still _look comfortable, especially when it's cold.

Cagalli wrapped her arms around her body and entwined her legs together to capture some warmth. Summer wasn't over yet, but fall was only weeks away, the trees even showed a little sign of early foliage. Cagalli sniffed when a frigid wind blasted her way. Orb was tropical, winter being no more than a mild spring, but when it did become cold, she was never in anything less then a pair of nice, warm pants and a thick coat, and definitely not a skirt.

An on-coming shiver disappeared when she found herself draped in a snug jacket. The jacket smelled oddly like a mix of deep-fry, grease, and a masculine scent of... masculinity? Cagalli brought her golden eyes up and it fell on emerald eyes that hovered over her.

"Ahhh..."

"You looked cold."

Athrun smiled kindly as he stood up straight and took to standing a step away from the bench. Cagalli mumbled a muffled thanks, enjoying the pleasant sensation that the jacket brought but realizing all over again at how high her skirt was. Moving slightly, she tried to subtly fix herself; she wasn't the only one. The girl to the right did the same, but she decided that her skirt wasn't short _enough_ and scooted forward, hiking the skirt up and making thonged bottom taste bitter metal.

The few minutes before the bus screeched to a halt remained in silence, and it was silent on the bus too as they sat a few seats apart. She already returned the jacket, and they found no use in exchanging words. It wasn't until she had a frowning suspicion that he was following her, had they exchanged words, with her once again yelling.

"Why the hell are you following me?" Cagalli stomped around, the bus was long gone, and they had already walked a good distance. Yet he was still behind her, walking a few paces behind.

"Because I'm going home." Athrun replied, not even taking the time to stop, and continued walking at his normal speed.

"What...?" A sudden realization hit her, so maybe THAT'S why he was so nice at the bus stop..."You couldn't be a--a--perv..." Cagalli trailed off at the end but Athrun did manage to get part of the last word. His face flushed, and contorted with the mix emotion of surprise and disgust.

"What the hell? I live in King's Apartment, which is located down further down this road!

"YOU STALKER! THAT'S WHERE I LIVE!"

Athrun couldn't believe it, the girl standing in front of him were throwing wild accusations at him, calling him various perverted name when he had kindly lend her his coat, lest she freeze to death. "How the hell does that make me a stalker? So we live in the same apartment building, big deal! All that means is that we are both cheap bastards!"

Cagalli stalked forward and was about to retort when somewhere above, a window slammed loudly open, causing the two to jerk their heads up.

"DO YOU LOVE HER OR NOT? JUST SAY SO ALREADY! I HAVE TO FREAKING GET UP AT FOUR IN THE MORNING AND I DON'T NEED TWO INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLES SCREAMING OUTSIDE MY WINDOW! UGGH, DAMN PEOPLE THESE DAYS!" The window slammed violently shut and a few brick stones fell, dropping loudly onto the broken pavement.

The two 'inconsiderate assholes' looked at each other. Athrun busted out laughing and Cagalli muttered a stifled 'whatever', reminding herself that a nice, big pile of beautiful homework still needed to be done.

* * *

There was a rustling behind her, it creaked the leaves under, and shook the trees above. Cautiously, Miriallia called out. 

"...Tolle?"

No answer.

The sky was pitch black, and the moon hung somewhere above, hiding behind tree trunks and green leaves. When Miriallia had returned home earlier that evening and changed into some comfortable clothes, she received a text message on her cell from her boyfriend. GO 2 DA BK OF SCHL. She wasn't exactly quite sure what he wanted, but she complied and snuck out of her house. Her mother was asleep and the school was only about three blocks away, not far. That was thirty minutes ago.

Miriallia turned to leave.

"Where ya going?" The suddenness of the voice made Miriallia jump, but she relax the moment she recognized who it was. Dressed in what he wore at the restaurant, a pair of black jeans and a white shirt, was Tolle, throwing her a lazy grin. "You scared the hell out of me!" Miriallia all but screamed at him.

Tolle winked while smiling and pulled grabbed her arm, leading the way to his car. "Sorry, couldn't resist." She wasn't exactly mad at him; in fact, he wouldn't be Tolle if he hadn't done that. Probably one of the reasons why she loved him so.

"Where are you taking me?" Miriallia asked when he motioned for her to get in his car, a Volkswagen, and blinded folded her. He shot her the ever elusive grin and drove off, not bothering to answer. Miriallia smiled, she'll see when she gets there she supposed. They drove in silence, enjoying the warm presence of each other as they drove away from suburban lights and into the less inhabited part of town. After about ten minutes of driving, Tolle stopped his car and got out, motioning for Miriallia to stay put. Moving his way around the front of the car, he opened the door to Miriallia's side and bowed low like a royal escort, holding out his hand to his lady. Miriallia stepped out with his help, enjoying the cool breeze. Tolle slowly unwrapped Miriallia's eyes, allowing her to view the site before her.

"...Tolle..."

A small oval table stood before them, draped in the most expensive table cloth Tolle managed to swipe from home. Two elegant chairs sat at the ends of the table and three candles were perched on the center of the table, ready to be lit. Tolle grabbed Miriallia's hand, guiding her to a chair and seated her. Before sitting himself down, he pulled out a small basket Miriallia didn't notice hadn't noticed before and placed it in front of her. Miriallia wasn't exactly sure what to make of all this, she gave Tolle a questioning look and he could only smile. "What, did you forget already Milly? It's our two year anniversary since we started dating."

Milly frowned, with all the mess going around home, she'd completely forgotten. She mumbled an apology for not getting anything, but Tolle understood. He always did.

"Open the basket." Tolle urged as he lit the candles one by one and sat down opposite of her. The wrappings crinkled as she slowly unraveled it, revealing a dolphin, a dolphin necklace to be exact. Miriallia's words got caught in her throat as she stared at the necklace. Dolphins...dolphins are her favorite!

"You don't like?" Tolle teased. Milly jumped up and ran around the table, giving Tolle a bear hug and kissing his head like a mother would do to a baby. That was enough of an answer.

For a while they remained sitting at the small table, talking in gentle ease as the candles melted and as the moon glided across the sea of stars.

* * *

Math taunted her through a plasma screen. Living in this day and age meant that without a personalized computer that didn't have wireless world-web accesses, screwed over you are. Pulling together some funds and recent paychecks, she got herself not a top-of-the-line, but will do model. While in some schools, a written request could be made for text books and printouts, the Minerva Academy was only for the 'rich and the power' so found no use for old-fashion textbooks. They did have a printing machine but it was electronic textbooks that students worked out of. 

Cagalli furrowed her brow, trying to decipher the language known as numbers but it seemed no matter what source she tried to use, the language remained a mystery to her, like the mystery of why Swiss cheese has holes She slumped in defeat, the digital clock on her PC read eleven, and she still had some wordy chapters to read through for literature. Maybe it'll be better to ask for help...

Getting up in a huff, she ejected the floppy and slipped some slippers on. It seemed that a certain waiter lived not only in the same apartment building, but right next door too. She was extremely desperate, and desperate people do desperate things. He didn't seem too mad when they last left each other at the doors of their apartment, she might be able to wiggle out some help from him, and if he was a stalker, she'll just punch the lights out of him if he tried anything disagreeable. All worth it if it meant she could finally sleep.

After stepping out into a dimly lit hallway, she locked the door behind her (she didn't trust the scraggy looking men lurking further down the hall) and knocked on his door, calling out lightly, inquiring if anyone was wake.

Athrun, who was in the kitchen preparing a late night dinner, turned around when he heard a knock and a voice. He frowned, late night visitors aren't usually good...

The knocking continued. Before opening the door, he looked through the peep hole and found a distorted version of the girl next door. He gripped the doorknob and opened the door warily. A floppy disk was shoved into his face. Refocusing his eyes, he read scrawled out words: 'Stupid math'. He shifted his attention to the figure holding the floppy, she didn't meet his eyes, instead finding a nice patch of floor to stare at.

Before he said anything, the blonde began talking. "I need help, can't figure out stupid calculus..." Calculus...maybe she wasn't a nitwit after all.

"Ah, sure. Just pop it into my computer. Actually I was making some ramen, want some?" Athrun moved aside and allowed the blonde in while pointing to a desk that was only higher than the floor by a foot or so. The blonde nodded. "Alright, I'll be done in a bit."

Cagalli watched him retreat back into the kitchen and settled on a cushion in front of the PC. She was surprised, the PC was a new model, one that only came out month or two ago. She inserted the floppy and pulled up the files. Peering around, she discovered that his apartment was in a much better condition then hers. The wooden floor looked like it had been recently cleaned and the walls were painted white instead of being subjected to terrible clashing wallpaper of disgusting colors. There was even a special room for the kitchen!

Before Cagalli could do further investigation on her alleged 'stalker', he reappeared from the kitchen and placed in front of her a bow of freshly cooked ramen. Just as Cagalli was about to dig in, a thought occurred, "I don't know your name." Athrun froze as he was about to take a humongous bite. True, during encounters earlier, she only referred to him as 'you', 'him', 'bastard'...and some other words while he avoided addressing her altogether. The subject of their names just never popped up.

"Athrun Dino." He said giving the same name he had all day. "And yours?"

"Cagalli Yula."

Athrun nodded and bite into yummy goodness.

* * *

Okay, thanks for reading down to here! I hope that the characters weren't too OOC that made you want to cringe in fear/disgust. Updates won't be for a few days, I wrote the first three chapters together before posting up the first. Well, from what I can tell... 

**Next Chapter: **Shinn's rommate and Lacus's reason for visit revealed! (as if you guys didn't figure out already -.-)

Please tell me what kind of job I'm doing (constructive please :D) and send in a much appreciated review:D


End file.
